Dear Exchange Student,

Welcome to ELTEFaculty of Humanties,School of English and American Studies (SEAS)

SEAS (Angol-AmerikaiIntézet in Hungarian) is one of the largest schools of the Faculty of Humanities (BTK) of EötvösLoránd University (ELTE) with approximately 1500 students attending more than 450 courses offered by a staff of more than 80 core teaching members (see hierarchy) belonging to five departments. We also have a sizeable library (Angol-AmerikaiIntézetKönyvtára) attended to by a group of dedicated librarians. You will also be able to borrow books from it.

As for the geographical position of SEAS, it is referred to as R épület ‘Building R’ (standing for (H-1088) Rákócziút 5, the postal address of SEAS) on the premises of the campus of the Faculty of Humanities (sometimes the building is also refreed to as E épület). If you see R327 (or R5 327), for example, in the course catalogue it reads: ‘room 327 in Building R’. The classrooms that belong to SEAS are found on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building (one classroom in on the first floor (R140) though). Your classes (especially the ‘big’ lectures) will often be in other buildings, e.g. Building D, A, B, etc.

In what follows we wish to give you a few guidelines in the form of frequently-asked-questions to ensure that you get the most out of your studies. You may want to come back to this page to check if you are on the right track. If you have questions that concern academic affairs, turn to Dr. KrisztinaSzalay. For other (non-academic) concerns (e.g. paperwork, student residence halls/dormitories, student passes, etc.) turn to Mr. SándorBalaci(if you are an Erasmus student or a student granted a tuition fee waiver) or Mr. JózsefBíró (in case you are a fee-paying student).

FAQ

Which institutions does SEAS currently have running contracts with?

E BARCELO01

Barcelona

Univeristat de Barcelona

D BERLIN13

Berlin

Humboldt Universitaet zu Berlin

E BILBAO02

Bilbao

Universidad de Deusto

SK BRATISL02

Bratislava

Comenius University in Bratislava

CZ BRNO05

Brno

Masaryk University

CY NICOSIA01

Cyprus

University of Cyprus

I FIRENZE01

Firenze

Università degli Studi di Firenze

DE HEIDELB01

Heidelberg

Ruprecht Karls Universität Heidelberg

SF HELSINK01

Helsinki

University of Helsinki

TR ISPARTA01

Isparta

Süleyman Demirel University

N KONGSBE01

Kongsberg

University College of Southeast Norway

PL KONIN02

Konin

Panstwowa Wyzsza Szkola Zawodowa w Koninie

D KONSTAN01

Konstanz

Universität Konstanz

SK KOSICE02

Kosice/Kassa

Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safárika

UK LEEDS02

Leeds

Leeds Beckett University

B LEUVEN01

Leuven

KU Leuven

FLILLE03

Lille

Université de Lille

IRL LIMERIC01

Limerick

University of Limerick

P LISBOA03

Lisbon

Universidade Nove de Lisboa

SI LJUBLJA01

Ljubljana

University of Ljubljana

PL LODZ01

Lódz

University of Lodz

UK LONDON097

London

Royal Holloway and Bedford New College

PL LUBLIN02

Lublin

Katolicki Universitet Lubelski

E MADRID03

Madrid

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

UK SALFORD01

Manchester

University of Salford

D MARBURG01

Marburg

Philipps-Universität Marburg

D MUNCHEN01

Munich

Ludwig Maximilians Universitaet München

I NAPOLI02

Naples

Universita degli Studi di Napoli

F NICE01

Nice

Universite de Nice - Sophia Antipolis

PL OPOLE01

Opole

Opole University

HR OSIJEK01

Osijek/Eszék

Sveuciliste Josipa Jurja Strossmayera U Osijeku

CZ OSTRAVA02

Ostrava

University of Ostrava

D PASSAU01

Passau

Universität Passau

CZ PRAHA07

Prague

Charles University

SK PRESOV01

Presov/Eperjes

University of Presov

LV RIGA01

Riga

University of Latvia

UK LONDON093

Roehampton

Roehampton University SUSPENDED FOR 2016/2017

I ROMA01

Roma

Universitá degli Studi di Roma - La Sapienza

HR SPLIT01

Split

University of Split

G THESSAL01

Thessaloniki

Aristotle University of Tessaloniki

NTROMSO01

Tromsö

UIT The Arctic University of Norway

NL UTRECHT01

Utrecht

Utrecht University

HR ZAGREB01

Zagreb

Univeristy of Zagreb

The description below only covers SEAS and its courses. If you are interested in courses offered by the other schools of the Faculty, contact the schools individually.

Under what conditions will I be able to study in SEAS if my institution has no agreement with SEAS?

Generally you can only study in SEAS if SEAS has an agreement with your native institution of higher education to ensure that an equal number of students is sent out and received on a regular basis every academic year. This is more of a principle than a rule, so SEAS may decide to let you stay on even if there is no such agreement. This, however, is decided on an individual basis between your home coordinator, your native ELTE coordinator, the faculty coordinator of ELTE and SEAS. You will be informed of SEAS' decision as soon as possible. SEAS also has to make sure that you meet its proficiency requirements in case of non-native speakers.

When does the semesters begin?

Autumn (Fall) semester: first week of September

Spring (Summer) semester: first week of February

What is the duration and broad outline of a semester?

study period: 14 weeks

exam period: 7 weeks

The study period is immediately followed by the exam period. There are NO exams in the study period. If you want to go home for a major religious festivity, take seminars rather than lectures.

Is there a spring/autumn break? There is. Generally around the 6th/7th week of the semester. Duration: 1 week.

The University is closed in the period running up to Christmas. It extends to the first days of January.

Are all of the courses and exams in English in SEAS?

Yes. The only exception to this may be courses given for students in the MA in English with Teaching Qualificationsprogramme. As only some of the courses require Hungarian as a mediating language, you are advised to make enquiries before you take such a course.

If a course has prerequisites, will they be observed? No.

What programmes are there in SEAS?

BA level courses:

BA in English and American Studies (course codes: BBN/BBI-ANG or BBN/BBI-AME)

Generally, courses whose numeric part begins with '1' are foundation level courses (e.g. BBN-ANG11-112), those with '2' are core course (e.g. BBN-ANG-241) and those with '3' are specialisation courses (e.g. BBN-AME-312.200).

Can I choose just any course?

Yes if you are a native speaker or a user of English at C1/C2 level, but if you are not, we recommend that you choose BA courses if you are a BA student. As an MA student you are advised to choose MA-level courses but you may also take BA specialisation courses (those that have '3' in the numeric part of the code: e.g. BBN-AME-312.200) or any other course which you get admitted in.

What types of courses are there?

Seminars/practical classes: practical classes take place in small-sized groups of 10-15 students. Attendance is obligatory and checked. A seminar means continuous assessment throughout the semester (this involves a mid term and an end term test, handing in homework assignments on a regular basis, or meeting any other requirements specified in the course syllabus). The grade awarded for a seminar will be a reflection of the quality and quantity of your work throughout the semester, so a seminar does not usually involve an exam. This is why your grade will usually become available at the very end of the study period or the very beginning of the exam period.

Lectures: attendance is generally not checked. If your instructor makes attendance obligatory, it will be checked and it will a prerequisite (stated in the course syllabus) for taking the exam. There is generally no continuous assessment of your work throughout the semester, so you will have to take an exam in the exam period. There are NO exams in the study period.

If I want to pass a course for credit, do the same requirements apply to me as to the Hungarian students? Yes, as specified in the syllabus.

How many times can an exam be attempted ?

Any exam can be attempted twice in a given semester (the only exception being language proficiency exams, which can only be attempted once).

What is the level of language competence required for BA/MA courses?

Advanced level of English is required to complete (any of) the courses.

What is the required level of minimum language proficiency in SEAS?

for BA courses

TOEFLPBT (Paper-based test): 500 or

TOEFLiBT (Internet-based test): 60 or

IELTS (International English Language Testing System): 5.5 or

CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference): B2

for MA courses

TOEFLPBT (Paper-based test): 550 or

TOEFLiBT (Internet-based test): 90 or

IELTS (International English Language Testing System): 5.0/5.5/6.0 or

CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference): B2

SEAS will not require you to send in officially proved documents but on request you may have to send in a 1-2 page academicmotivation letter in English to Dr Éva Illés. The minimum number of words is 500. Please tell us about your academic motivation and interests, courses you would like to take, research you would like to conduct, etc., NOT why you would like to be a tourist for a semester in Hungary and Budapest.

Your request to study in SEAS may have to be denied if your language proficiency is found inadequate. This is needed to ensure that you get the most out of your time and resources under the conditions set by SEAS.

The courses for the 2016 Autumn semester will become available after 10 June. Until then we suggest you browse one of the previous Autumn/Spring semester's load of courses. The chances are that many of them will be offered again (in addition to a fair number of new ones). This sounds a bit disquieting but if you need details to fill your preliminary learning agreement we suggest you look at the courses we offered in Autumn 2014. You will always be able to add changes to and make your final learning agreement once you are in Budapest and have had a chance to look at the current catalogue.

In a similar fashion, if you are looking for the Spring 2016 catalogue, we advise you to look at the catalogue of Spring 2015. The courses will become available after 10 June.

The course catalogue contains all the information you need: credits, hours/week, type of course (seminar/lecture), etc.

How do I find ALL the courses on offer by SEAS?

Go to course catalogue, enter a dot ('.') in the code contains search field, press desired semester and off you go. As courses are being constantly added in the catalogue, the list will be bigger by the week by the end of June.

How do I register for them?

Ideally this should happen through the University’s electronic administration system: neptun. SEAS's course catalogueis not linked to neptun. Neptun is available in English as well. However, exchange students typically receive their neptun code and password somewhat late in the semester (usually after registration has already run its course). To circumvent the problem we suggest the following: you will have to contact each of your professors individually. Drop them an email asking them if they're willing to admit you in the class over and above the students who have already registered through the usual channels (neptun). Your request may be denied, that's their prerogative. This does not usually happen though.

How can I find the professors' email addresses?

If you need a professor's email address follow the course description and simply click the professor's name. If there's no course description, simply look up the name in the staff directory.

How do I get to know about the subject matter of a course (syllabus, bibliography, etc.)?

If you need to know about this for your (preliminary) learning agreement, write to the particular instructor of a given course (as shown in the catalogue). If the course happens not to have a description, you can always look up the instructor's email in the staff directory and ask them what the intended requirements/syllabus/etc. are.

Do I need their permission for every single course? No. You only need a professor's permission if you plan to take a seminar.

In the BA programme, seminars end in an even number before the decimal, so ANG-242 and ANG-312.13 are both seminars. This is also indicated in the course description (in the course catalogue) next to the code. Lectures are open to all students from all walks of life. In the BA programme, lectures end in an odd number before the decimal, so ANG-141 and AME-311.04 are both lectures.

In the MA programmes (codes: ANGD for MA in English, AMED for MA in American) the majority of the classes are seminars or lectures where attendance is very much encouraged.

Addressing your professors.

Addressing a person (especially if they are your teachers) can be a delicate matter at times. Using inappropriate wording may lead to unwanted consequences. We suggest you stick to the following well rehearsed formula:

"Dear Professor X,

[X: use only the family name here -- in the SEAS staff database (as in the Hungarian practice of giving names) family names appear first]

I am an Erasmus student from [give name of home university and city] who has no neptun code at present. I would like to join the following classes found under your name in the course catalogue:

-- give code and brief course title

Please let me know if this is possible at your earliest convenience. My choice of courses will be recorded in the neptun soon after receiving your response.

Regards,

XY [give full name with given name(s) appearing first followed by family name(s)]

How do I receive official correspondence through neptun?

log into neptun

find messages box

click on settings

click on message forwarding

tick ALL boxes and save (bottom of page)

When should I arrive?

The semester officially begins in the first week of February (for a Spring semester) and September (for an Autumn semester), but the first week is reserved for finalising registration for courses. It's probably for the best if you arrive a week before to be able to finalise your registration and have enough time for making alternative arrangements for the courses you have not been able to take.

Do I really need this neptun code and password?

Yes. It will be issued together with your student pass. You will have to go to Questura (just a short walk from the University). Keep your neptun code and password for future reference. We advise you to log into the neptun once you have your neptun code/password to activate your account. If you do not do this within a week, your password will expire. You need to set a public email address. This is the only way your professors can contact you in case a class is cancelled, for example, or if you have to read something ASAP for the next class.

How do I get to set a public email address?

Log into the neptun using your neptun code and password. You must also set the language to English before you log in.

If you are staying for 2 semesters, the email address will be automatically prompted for confirmation every 6 months. Ensure that you continue to have a public email address by clicking the link in the confirmation email every so often.

Check your mail box (as well as your junk mail) regularly for messages arriving from neptun. The coursemail (memos,infosheet, e-learning, etc.) sent by your teachers will be arriving through neptun. Do NOT delete these messages without first checking them for content that may concern your studies and your courses.

Where do I have to enter my courses after I have been admitted?

You have to fill in a Student Guest Application Form. Do not skip rubrics: give code, course title, etc. Keep this form as it will be important for some later steps in your studies.

Yes. After you have received your teachers' permission to attend their classes, collect the codes by cutting them out from the SEAS course catalogue and email them (lectures and seminars) to Mr Sándor Balaci using the following form. The codes should arrive no later than end of February (for a Spring semester)/September (for an Autumn semester). This is where it pays to have a public email address in neptun. Your professors can now email you about important course events: approaching home paper deadlines, cancelled classes, upcoming tests, etc.

How many credits will my courses/modules be worth here?

As many as their counterparts are worth at your home university. This is left to you to work out.

How many credits can I take?

As many as you wish.

How many courses can I take?

As many as you wish.

Can I take Hungarian courses? Yes, write to Mr Balaci for enquiries.

So what are the steps I have to take?

pick up your copy of the Student Guest Application form from Mr Balaci. Make sure it has been properly filled with all the details that we require (personal details, details relating to your university, level of studies, courses you intend to take, etc.)

contact your teachers individually for the courses you want to sign up for and collect their signature

Some further information is available from the University's main site for Erasmus students (some of the data may be dated and/or incomplete, so you always have to make your own inquiries with your coordinators; the data on this site are regularly updated and checked).